Wombwell (locally /ˈwʊmwəl/) is a town near Barnsley, located in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. The town in the 2011 census was split between a ward called Wombwell,[1] as well as small parts that fell under two other wards called Darfield (specifically the area south of Pitt Street, including Broomhill)[2] and Stairfoot (specifically the area south of Aldham Crescent).[3] Added together, these list the town's population as roughly 15,316.

Wombwell railway station (formerly Wombwell West) serves the Penistone and Hallam lines. Until 1959 it had another station (Wombwell Central) on the Barnsley-Doncaster line that was closed when that line lost its passenger service. Wombwell was home to two collieries; Wombwell Main and Mitchells Main. Wombwell is close to the large shopping and leisure facilities of Cortonwood, and also has a number of local business from cafes to travel agents and high street chains like Wilko store on High Street.

Wombwell has one main cemetery, tended to by a voluntary group named the Friends of Wombwell Cemetery.[4] The cemetery houses two chapels that are Grade II listed buildings: one of which was transformed into an outdoor "Peace Garden" without a roof due to a fire before the group materialised; the other renovated into a "Community Hub".

William Byg (alias Lech) of Wombwell is credited with the first ever recorded case of scrying in modern Europe. This confession was recorded on 22 August 1467. He was said to have earned a living by finding stolen property with the help of his crystal ball for over a period of two years, and was eventually charged with heresy. Scholars have researched and examined, until modern times, Byg's description of his own scrying. His description matches many scrying examples and methods which occurred later, and his work is considered authentic by those who believe it is possible to find property by paranormal means.[citation needed]